1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of heaters for diesel fuel contained in a fuel tank for supplying fuel to a diesel engine of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Diesel fuel has a tendency to jell or wax in cold weather. Thus, when operating diesel engine vehicles in cold weather it is important to heat the diesel fuel supplied to the diesel engine to keep the fuel flowing smoothly and thereby prevent failure of the engine. This is a particularly serious problem in very cold weather areas and can result in vehicle breakdown and startup problems requiring the vehicle to be towed to a service area and the fuel tank heated before the vehicle can be operated. This is a highly costly situation.
There have been provided heaters of the indicated type. Illustrative of these prior art heaters are the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,110,296; 4,237,850; 4,286,551 and 4,338,891.
Other heaters disclosed in the prior art are the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,980,172; and 2,916,030.